Masterclasses
Prayer as Political Resistance: The Radical Theology of First Wave Feminism
– Professor Sarah C. Williams
This class explores the integral relationship between Christian faith and the rise of modern ideological feminism in the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Feminism is often presented in the history books as a force antithetical to Christianity. All too often, Christianity is cast in the role of chief propagator of oppressive hegemonic constructions of gender and as the long-term enemy of women’s social, political, and sexual liberation. This class will demonstrate the deep effects of such a narrative on contemporary culture both inside and outside the church. We will look carefully at the underlying presuppositions that frame our culture’s understanding of feminism, gender and queer theory, showing how these presuppositions shape the missional environment in which we must now operate as Christians in the post-modern West.
Focusing on the spiritual practices of an extraordinary and diverse group of first wave feminists we will encounter a different version of the story, one in which faith was central. Specifically, we will explore how these early feminists understood the role of prayer as a crucial form of political resistance to the gendered and the religious status quo. We will explore the fascinating influence of late-medieval mysticism on the socio-political vision of early feminists, on their political philosophy, and their radical eschatological reframing of human sexuality. Most of all, this class will provide an opportunity to be inspired not only by stories of courage and faith, but also by a distinctive spirituality focused on prayer as a transformative pedagogy of justice. The goal is to nourish our missional imaginations, to expand our capacity to reimagine our own moment in time, and to equip us to lead through prayer with confidence as we create the future.
Although this class is historical in content and approach it is especially designed for those who are honest enough to admit that sometimes history can be irrelevant! This class is not so much a history lesson as a ‘missional summit’ for all those asking difficult questions about gender, sexuality and mission, in which we gain fresh insight through dialogue with the past.
What Can One Congregant Do to Prevent Suicide in a Church?
– Professor Karen E. Mason
In 2018, intentional self-harm was the 14th leading cause of death in Australia. Every suicide is a tragedy. But what can one congregant do to prevent suicide in a church? In this masterclass, you will gather ideas for preventing suicide in your church. You will walk away from this masterclass with your plan for how to change attitudes about mental health and suicide, how to plan for safety with youth, and how to minister to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Bring your phone to complete a virtual “Hope Box”. This masterclass will interest congregants who are already passionate about suicide prevention and those who are curious about what is preventable about suicide in a faith context. The masterclass draws on Karen Mason’s decade of experience researching the role of churches in suicide prevention.
Ministry Leaders: Key Partners in Suicide Prevention
– Professor Karen E. Mason
Ministry leaders are key partners in suicide prevention, but how? What can they do? In this masterclass, ministry leaders will reflect theologically on suicide, will evaluate a sermon on suicide and a suicide funeral sermon. You will walk away from this masterclass with a protocol for how to respond to a suicidal congregant and how to contain contagion following a suicide in your church or community. This masterclass will interest ministry leaders, including clergy, who would like to understand more clearly their role in preventing suicide in a church. Karen Mason has been researching and writing about the role of ministry leaders in suicide prevention for a decade.
Public Theology
– Rev. Dr Andrew Cameron
What are we to make of the various Christian attempts to ‘go public’ on this or that issue, when we really like some and others make our blood boil? This seminar will explore some reasons Christians have different approaches to theology in the ‘public square’ (or on social media!), and will offer some tips on doing it well.
Political Theology
– Rev. Dr Andrew Cameron
‘Political theology’ is the name given to the various accounts of the relationship between God, churches, and the State. It is the ‘deep story’ of how God’s cosmic salvation in Christ intersects with the workaday business of caring for communities. Come and get a taste of how different theologians make sense of the Bible on this issue, with some tips on being both a Christian and a citizen.
So You Have Something To Say (An Introduction to Writing for the Internet)
– Bronwyn Lea
This class will consider both the possibilities and pitfalls of the opportunities presented by our internet age, and focus on practical questions to engage both wisely and well. This masterclass would interest those starting out as writers or podcasters. Topics to be covered include determining your audience, finding your voice, clarifying your message, and finding technical resources. The masterclass will also explore the way internet communication intersects with our calling to be and to make disciples.
Making the Most of Writing for the Internet
– Bronwyn Lea
This masterclass is geared toward intermediate level writers and content producers who are looking for ways to be increasingly strategic in their public engagement. The class will consider how we can best identify and serve our audiences, clarify our message, navigate public criticism and social media pushback, and find healthy community. The masterclass will also explore the way internet communication intersects with our calling to be and to make disciples.
Hope: The World as It Is, and as It Can Be
– Rev. Tim Costello
In this masterclass, Tim Costello draws on his lifetime of leadership experience in public ministry, political advocacy and social impact to unpack the trend-lines of our world’s most pressing issues and shares his vision for how the Church can and must be a compelling force for good in every corner of the globe. Having borne witness to some of the world’s darkest moments, Tim Costello remains an optimist. This masterclass is for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the intersection of faith and global issues of political action.
Getting to Know Jonathan Edwards Again for the First Time
– Rev. Dr Rhys Bezzant
Jonathan Edwards is known for his occasional hellfire preaching rather than his regular preaching of love. He is known as a philosopher rather than a preacher. He is known as a preacher rather than a pastor. But he is profoundly misunderstood. In this masterclass we will engage with Edwards’s biography, ministry priorities and theological assumptions to begin to find the real Edwards for those who know little, and for those who have been his companion for some years. We will pay particular attention to his ministry of mentoring, his position as the first modern mentor, and learn how the philosophy of the Enlightenment impacted his ministry and his legacy. Participants will leave this masterclass with a greater appreciation of how Edwards’s story profoundly impacts our own today.
Human Dignity in Theology & Politics
– Stephanie Kate Judd
This masterclass is a deep dive into the concept of universal human dignity, where it comes from, and why it matters. The first part will survey the philosophical and theological landscape of the concept. The second part will examine its implications, with case studies in particular political issues (with help from guest Joshua Thorp, a political scientist who is researching disability). Finally, we will explore together how we can practically (re)engage our friends, our communities and our world with the beauty of the Christian vision of what humanity is and why every human matters. This last section especially will be hands on, so come prepared to participate!
How to Take the Aboriginal Hand of Friendship
– Brooke Prentis
This masterclass is for everyone. It’s for those who haven’t started the journey yet, and it’s for those who have been on the journey for decades. In the masterclass, Aboriginal Christian leader Brooke Prentis will explore why it’s important for every Australian Christian to take the Aboriginal hand of friendship, and how to do that personally and in your church. Be inspired by Aboriginal Christian leader’s faith, forgiveness and graciousness as we continue to extend our hand in friendship. This is a journey of reconciliation, healing, and hope for all peoples in these lands now called Australia.
Reaching the Nations in a Broken World
– Grace Lung
This masterclass will draw on Grace Lung’s experience with the Chinese Australian community. With the nations in our own backyard, how can we make the most of these evangelism opportunities while recognising the realities of racism, cultural faux pas, and discomfort? This masterclass will encourage and equip those seeking to engage with different cultures as well as the second-generation offspring within their own churches and communities.
The (Surprising) Contours of Singleness in Christian History
– Rev. Dani Treweek
This masterclass will provide the participant with an overview of the fascinating story of how the church has viewed the place of singleness throughout its 2,000-year history. We will explore the ways in which what are often viewed as obvious biblical mandates today are actually a fairly recent theological and cultural development. In particular, we will focus on the history of the ideas that marriage is normative for Christians, that romantic love is central to marriage, that sex goes to the core of who we are as humans, and the surprising place of singleness right throughout Christian history.
Theological Anthropology & Genre
– Rev. Dr Michael Jensen
Stories are theological. And because they are theological, they are also anthropological. They tell us about God – or the gods – and they tell us about ourselves. Human beings could not do otherwise than tell stories to one another, about one another. And the impulse to narrate immediately invokes beginnings, middles, and ends, and makes any number of implicit and explicit assumptions about how these come to pass. What kind of creature is the human creature? And what kind of universe does it inhabit – is it purposeful, chaotic, or locked in by unyielding fate? What meaning can we then ascribe to human actions? Different kinds of stories give us different answers to these questions. Building on Michael's recently published book The Theological Anthropology of the Great Literary Genres, this masterclass will examine tragedy, comedy, epic, and gospel.
Shakespeare, the Self, and Theological Anthropology
– Dr Roberta Kwan
‘What a piece of work is man …. And yet to me what is this quintessence of dust?’ (Hamlet)
What does it mean to be truly human? This question taps into one of our age’s key concerns: our turn towards the self. For 200 years, Hamlet has been the go-to literary text for debates about human identity; Shakespeare’s protagonist is the poster child for the modern self.
Does Hamlet, and do we, act as autonomous, self-realising individuals, or are Hamlet’s, and our, actions determined by forces outside our control? Are Hamlet’s, and are our, expressions of selfhood authentic or inauthentic representations of an inner reality? Is Hamlet’s, and is our, experience of others in the world primarily one of connection or alienation? In this masterclass, we will explore the range of ideas about the human self that Hamlet has engendered. We will especially focus on what these ideas might suggest about our culture’s views on the human self, and consider what a theological anthropology might contribute to the conversation about what it means to be human.
Optional homework: Please read, or watch an adaptation of, Hamlet.
Nature and Culture: How Matter and Meaning Go Together
– Dr Nathan Lyons
The relationship between nature and culture is one of the oldest and trickiest philosophical puzzles. How is the given, physical world of nature related to the constructed, meaningful world of human culture? How are rocks, trees, and seas related to Shakespeare? The majority view in Modern philosophy since the 1600s is that there is a great gap between the two domains, with the meaningful realm of human culture set apart from a meaningless universe of material nature. In this masterclass, we will explore a quite different approach, drawing on medieval Christian philosophy and theology, along with contemporary evolutionary theory, to show how nature and culture can be understood as a single continuum of material, meaningful existence. In the process, we will see how premodern Christian ideas can make timely interventions in today’s urgent debates about our place in the Earth’s ecological order.
Optional homework: Blog post: http://blogs.springer.com/lst/biosemiotics-making-sense-nature/. For keen participants: Rowan Williams, “Intelligent Bodies: Language as Material Practice” chapter 4 in The Edge of Words: God and the Habits of Language (London: Bloomsbury, 2014), p. 95-125; and Bruno Latour, We Have Never Been Modern, trans. Catherine Porter (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991).
Podcasting: A Medium for Intimate Public Conversation
– Rev. Megan Powell duToit & Rev. Dr Michael Jensen
This masterclass covers the how and the why of Christian podcasting as a form of effective public engagement. Podcasting is a medium that started on people’s kitchen tables and has become increasingly mainstream. So much so, that producers of other types of content are getting into podcasts. Christians are catching on to its benefits as well. Instead of the kitchen table, the Christian podcast world started in the pulpit, with churches simply uploading sermons. What Megan and Michael do with their podcast With All Due Respect, though, is tailored for the specifics of the podcasting medium. In this masterclass, they will discuss why podcasting is a useful medium for public conversation, and how they are using it for their purposes. They will also talk through the nitty-gritty of how to produce a successful podcast. When most podcasts fail by episode 7 – how have they managed to get out almost 30 so far? You will get to see it in action, as they prepare and record a segment in front of you. And there will be some practical exercises for you to do. This masterclass is for people who are already podcasting, those who want to give podcasting a crack, or anyone who just wants to understand what podcasting offers in the Christian space.
Optional homework: listen to Episodes 22 (the Meta Episode) and 23 (Women in the Church) of With All Due Respect by Eternity News. Also come prepared to talk about your favourite podcasts and why they work.
Crafting Sermons that Connect with Real Life
– Erica Hamence
Coming soon.
Homework: Attendees will need to bring either a drafted or finished sermon to workshop.
Goal Setting & Year-Planning
– Stephanie Dunk
Is it better to set an ambitious goal, or just plan to do your best? Should you set one big long term goal or lots of short term goals? Does it matter if you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere? The answer is, of course, that it depends. In this hands-on masterclass, participants will have a chance to assess themselves and their aspirations and to put together goals that will propel them into the year. Drawing on organisational behaviour research, participants will have a chance to learn more about their own preferences, what the research says about the kinds of goals that will work best for them, and start to manage themselves. There will also be time for reflection, sharing and encouragement.
Meekness and Weakness in an Argument Culture
– Dr Mark Stephens
We live within a culture that is easily angered. We feel the need to weaponise our ideas and defeat our opponents. And when our ideas do not triumph, we often react with outrage and disgust. But the Christian life is grounded in imitating the crucified Christ. Cruciformity should challenge how we behave in public. Our contributions to public life should be humble, hospitable to our enemies, and sacrificially self-giving. This is not a call to helplessness and playing the victim. In the kingdom of God, power and weakness go together. This masterclass will workshop how to imitate Christ in every situation, including when our ideas seem to be “losing.”
Theological and Practical Perspectives on Wellbeing
– Sarah & Rev. Dr Keith Condie
Jesus came to bring ‘life to the full’. We know the Christian hope is for a time when this promise will come to fruition. But what does this look like in our present context in a fallen world? How should our hope for having ‘life to the full’ affect our expectations in the area of mental health and wellbeing? This masterclass will consider theological principles that bear upon wellbeing and how these might be applied in a church setting. The masterclass will be co-presented by Sarah and Keith Condie.
What Have We Misunderstood About Domestic Violence as the Church and as a Society? And How Can We Help Address It?
– Amelia Schwarze
This masterclass explores a Christian response to domestic violence. The masterclass is aimed at all those who are curious as to why the phenomenon of domestic violence has only recently been “discovered” to be a chronic social issue, both within the church and society as a whole. We will explore different claims about the prevalence of domestic violence, the dynamics of how domestic violence occurs, and the causes of domestic violence. It will especially focus on the interactions between theology and domestic violence. The goals of this masterclass will be to equip participants with a better understanding of domestic violence so that we might better address it in our communities.
Optional homework: “Are We Lions or Mice? The Biblical Advice for Domestic Abuse We Need to Listen To,” Propel Sophia.
The Witness of Wonder: Forming Creative Disciples for the Public Square
– Jo Kadlecek
What would happen if we included a theology of creativity in our discipleship? How does the concept of Imago dei translate in today's culture? And how can our wonder of God as Creator shape and redirect our witness in our respective areas? Identifying artists and poets, actors and writers, filmmakers and musicians as today's culture shapers, this masterclass explores a theology of creativity and the impact the Gospel can have in forming creative disciples.